Street Artist Above Transforms His Trademark Arrow in the Kaleidoscopic Exhibition "Remix"

International and anonymous street artist Above has been working with his symbolic arrow for over 15 years now. Also renowned for his evocative political stencils and large-scale text-based murals, Above's work can be found adorning the streets of Istanbul, Berlin, Mexico City, Lisbon, Sydney, Portland, and beyond. His latest exhibition, appropriately titled "Remix" (Nov. 21 to Dec. 26), is on view at Inner State Gallery.

Working within the shape of his arrow icon, Above has created a new body of work for "Remix." Above makes his intriguing pieces out of interchangeable blocks of wood that are then organized into an arrow. He designs the arrows on a computer, prints out the designs, and then forms the curved pieces of wood. He then remixes and interchanges them into beautiful patterns.

In an interview with 1xRun editor-in-chief Pietro C. Truba, Above explains that this new body of work arose from a gradual experimentation with color and curved lines. Having spent much of his career working with precise and straight lines, "Remix" provided Above the opportunity to explore a new style. "Symmetrical curves and concentric circles re-arrange in different patterns on each piece. I feel it's a great balance and it looks pleasing to the eye at the same time," he says of the work.

In the interview, Above also mentions that synthesizing the right colors was, "probably the most challenging aspect of this show." He explains that it "was extremely difficult to select a whole family of colors that worked well together. I would sit and play for hours on one piece, swapping two to three colors, then adding another and deleting another until I found a great harmony." The results of his hard work are evident in the finished pieces, all of which expertly balance a range of dynamic colors.

"Remix" runs from Nov. 21 to Dec. 26 at Inner State Gallery in Detroit.